Teachers during Education Reforms: Challenges and Opportunities

Topicality of the research problem is connected with global and local processes and education policy in the society. In order to solve several topical issues on the quality of education, educational reforms are frequently implemented in different countries, also including Latvia. The aim of the study is to analyse education policy guidelines, theoretical studies and the results of the empirical research on the teachers' activity and needs to begin to implement the education reform on competence-based content development. The research methodology includes analyses of education guidelines, theoretical studies and surveys obtained from 146 teachers from comprehensive schools in Latvia. The teachers are ready to implement education reform, but the low self-initiative confines to execution of regulations, rules or instructions given by the school's leaders. The teachers appreciate highly their professionality, takes responsibility for the work within their subjects, but dissociate themselves from the responsibility for the whole teaching and learning process in the school, does not stand out with autonomy to make decisions independently. The obtained outcomes are the proof to the fact that attention has to be paid teachers' mutual collaboration, as well as development of pedagogy as science.